Setback for Goddy title hopes

August 8, 2007

Updated: Monday, June 7, 2010 (11:14)

East Anglian Premier League Gt Witchingham (144) bt Godmanchester (125) by 19 runs A BITTERLY disappointing result against mid-table opposition left Godmanchester s title hopes hanging by a thread. The visitors contrived to lose a game they should have w

East Anglian Premier League

Gt Witchingham (144) bt Godmanchester (125) by 19 runs

A BITTERLY disappointing result against mid-table opposition left Godmanchester's title hopes hanging by a thread.

The visitors contrived to lose a game they should have won against their Norfolk opponents for the second time this season.

To add to Godmanchester's woes, leaders Swardeston defeated Horsford by more than 100 runs, extending their lead at the top of the EAPL to 26 points.

The match had been billed as the battle of the overseas bowlers, with Goddy's Sri Lankan Praneeth Jayasundera and Witchingham's New Zealander Lance Shaw squaring up against each other.

After a good start from Witchingham, it seemed Jayasundera would be the man to take the headlines as he returned another five-wicket haul for his side.

But Shaw's excellent medium-fast seamers proved too much for the visiting batsmen and Godmanchester fell an agonising 19 runs short.

Carl Rogers (23) and James Spelman (45) got the home side off to a good start with an opening partnership of 53 that proved to be the highest of the match.

However, once Jayasundera's penetrative leg spin has Rogers leg before wicket the middle order soon followed.

The home side were in decent shape on 129-5 when David McCallum (3-14) and Jayasundera ripped through the tail to leave Godmanchester the happier side at the break.

Earlier, Elliot Baldwin had bowled 18 continuous overs of left-arm seam in recording figures of 2-38 in support of the Sri Lankan.

The 145 target did not look beyond Godmanchester's capability and when 17-year-olds Ben Clement (21) and Wayne Bradley (16) shared a third wicket stand of 27 the ship seemed steady.

Bradley's departure to a ricochet in the slips signalled a mid-innings collapse and only Paul Swannell (29) made double figures from number five down.

Shaw's excellent bowling continued to account for wickets, as did the accurate work from Stuart Evans (2-26) and Goddy were soon struggling at 92-7.

Swannell smashed a flurry of boundaries as he looked to secure an unlikely win but his departure signalled the end on a devastatingly disappointing day for the visitors.